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“She’s found it the best forum to give her constituents access to her, and find out exactly what’s on their mind and what their concerns are,” said Canter. “It attracts a very different citizenry than people who can take two hours out of their day to attend a town hall.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told local media that he will not be hosting town hall meetings during August, saying, "I don't think that really serves the purpose of informing the public and answering their questions honestly.” And a spokesman for Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) said that he does not have any events scheduled, but town hall meetings could be planned.

While senators may be able to avoid giving constituents face time, it’s not a luxury available to most House members, who face reelection next year.

Many congressional Democrats are relying heavily on small events or well-controlled venues such as telephone town halls to stay visible during recess without creating a YouTube spectacle.

Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.) says that he is not planning to hold any town halls, but will participate in a radio question-and-answer session with four other members on health care later in the month.

“It’s been difficult to find a proper venue,” said Karen Washington, Brady’s spokeswoman. “The district is diverse and stretched out. Philadelphia is a district of neighborhoods and clusters of ethnic groups…we’ve found it very beneficial to attend smaller groups where people are in their natural setting."

In North Carolina, a state President Barack Obama narrowly won in 2008, the congressional delegation is largely staying away from town hall events. So far, of the state’s eight Democratic House members, only Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) has held a town hall event. A spokesman for freshman Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) said the senator is hosting meetings with health care professionals, and open office hours instead.

“The reality is that the politics of health care are going to collide with the politics of 2010 in a very stark way, very soon,” said Republican political consultant Phil Musser. “Obama is going to chew into the clock of 2009, and he’s going to ask members of Congress in a lot of swing districts to cast a lot of tough votes. That, for Democrats in marginal districts, represents a real conundrum.”

Democrats say that the recent spotlight on town halls has overshadowed other ways that they routinely reach out to their constituents. But they do not always succeed in keeping the controversy away.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was greeted by an angry crowd of protesters at a recent “Congress on Your Corner” event — she was informed later that at least one person reportedly dropped a gun in the crowd.

In Colorado, Rep. Ed Perlmutter was met by an oversized, but largely civil, crowd of about 300 people during a “Government in the Grocery” event that he has hosted in his district for more than 2½ years. For two hours, protesters held signs and shouted slogans while Perlmutter met with constituents in small groups.

Despite the disruption, Leslie Oliver, Perlmutter’s spokeswoman, labeled the event a success. “We’ve found that this is, frankly, a more effective way of hearing from our constituents one-on-one about the issues that they want to talk about for about five or 10 minutes in a setting that is convenient or comfortable for them.”

The Democrats aren't holding town halls in part because they are COWARDS, but mostly because they don't give a rat's patootie WHAT the American people want. They have their socialist agenda and they're going to pursue it no matter whether those they represent are interested in it or not.

There will be backlash that makes the Town Hall meetings look like bake sales. If these yellow-bellied reds are afraid now, just WAIT until they push that last button, pile on that last straw.

America will NOT be bullied by congressmen who are failing their duties, who are NOT defending the Constitution, who are NOT representing their constituents. America will NOT be socialized!

Stand up, Americans...keep the pressure on. Our numbers are HUGE and GROWING. Stand up and make your voices be heard! JOIN US; be an American PATRIOT!

Join the Tea Party Patriots movement. Non-partisan, Constitution-believing AMERICANS who are fighting to prevent the Marxists from overrunning our great nation. If you are an American you know what we are, and you can see what they want to turn us into. Don't allow it!

www.teapartypatriots.org

If the Democrats won't hold town halls, SHOW UP AT THEIR OFFICES, en masse. That's what we're doing. If they don't acknowledge us there, we show up wherever they or their staff will be. WE MUST STAND UP NOW...or we will forever lose our ability to protect this great nation.

regardless of whether the people WOULD- they stay away because they know they SHOULD be lynched. It is that old sense of GUILT few criminals or traitors have, but pops up in times of extreme self-preservational awareness.

There's no point in talking to Republicans any more. They are simply hysterical and irrational, whipped up into a frenzy by Limbaugh and the Murdoch Media.

It's like trying to talk to a KKK mob, which is exactly what the Republicans have been cultivating for decades. Now it's gotten to the point where no one wants to talk to them any more. If I were a moderate, rational Republican, I would leave that party today--just leave it to the extremists and the crazies and let it die.

The KKK huh.....while your president spends his vacation amongst the white elite of Martha's vineyard at $38,000 a pop. His brother living in poverty in Africa. FACT.....the republican party is very much alive (see the most recent polls and the town halls)

What's the point of holding townhall meetings when people shout just to shout. Down deep they're mad because President Bush got us into the mess the country is in. President Bush failed miserably to keeps tabs on the banking system; cut taxes; spent our billions on the wars; and created this massive deficit. It isn't Obama's--if Congress hadn't approved stimulus money, we might be in a depression right now, all thanks to BUSH! THANK GOD BUSH IS GONE! BE THANKFUL FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WISE LEADERSHIP. HE DESERVES YOUR LOYALTY AND SUPPORT. THESE PEOPLE WHO YELL AT TOWN HALL MEETINGS ARE NOT AMERICAN. LET'S SEE THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATES!

hey GQ.......the deficit alone since this clown has taken office has gone up 2.5 trillion (in 8 months) that is more than ALL of the previous presidents deficits COMBINED. By 2019 his projected deficit is 9.1 trillion that is 3.5 million dollars for every day since the birth of Christ. Bush's part of that figure is 1.3 trillion. GQ if you have the guts.....list how Obama has made your life better in the last 8 months. Loyalty needs to be earned when you are in public office

There's no point in talking to Republicans any more. They are simply hysterical and irrational, whipped up into a frenzy by Limbaugh and the Murdoch Media.

It's like trying to talk to a KKK mob, which is exactly what the Republicans have been cultivating for decades. Now it's gotten to the point where no one wants to talk to them any more. If I were a moderate, rational Republican, I would leave that party today--just leave it to the extremists and the crazies and let it die.

There's no point in talking to Democrats anymore. They are simply hysterical and irrational, whipped up into a frenzy by MSNBC, Cindy Shehan and Rachel Maddow.

It's like trying to talk to a Nation of Islam mob, which is exactly what the Democrats have been cultivating for decades. Now it's gotten to the point where no one wants to talk to them any more. If I were a moderate, rational Democrat, I would leave that party today--just leave it to the extremists and the crazies and let it die.

See it sounds just as stupid and clueless when I put it that way - how about some facts in your next post - try it, its fun.

Here's another reason for Tim Bishop of NY to fear coming face to face with his constituents. http://shouldirun.com displays screenshots (link is on the left column) of "stimulus" projects in New York's 1st Congressional District that were supposed to create jobs, but the monetary awards are to out of district companies! This is probably true for other districts, too.

It's morally wrong to leave 100 million Americans un or underinsured, 1 illness away from financial ruin. And it's wrong to burden small business with the outrageous insurance costs also -- found a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view of earth

I've accused Michael McHugh of being a dem talking head in prior posts, but have seen some from him that were well thought out. Maybe today is just one of his crazy days. If I were an obama supporter, every day would be a crazy day as day after day his administration winds itself furher into a knot. Face it folks, there is no leaderaship coming from the whitehouse, just the blame game and talking points.

The community organizer is in over his head. He's in over the heads of all his advisors. The country is suffering their ignorance and arrogance at the same time. Sad, very sad. 2010 can't come soon enough. The people are upset, and the people vote. Unless you plan on taking the vote away from us, your days are numbered. Just be glad we no longer lunch folks.

Who can blame them? When you have hate radio goons and Faux News spewing nonsense and whipping up the racist base and "low information" voters who come armed to these meetings, only to scream their idiotic talking points and not allow reasonable, rational, sane and civil people who have legitimate questions or concerns to ask questions, why bother? I wouldn't mind going to a town hall meeting if I could be assured that there were strict security measures in place to protect me from these menancing goons with guns who want to stifle me from getting information about health care reform.

You mean the folks at acorn(who were just indicted in nevada) or perhaps the good folks at the SEIU 6 of whom were arrested for beating a black man senseless at a rally in St. Louis. Oh yeah those gun guys.....well looks like you are the "low information" one. Those states are "open carry" states where you can carry an unconcealed weapon. You see that right is given them based on the constitution. The one man carrying an automatic weapon was a black man which MSNBC photoshopped into a white man. This was verified days later. Your right though ,our founding fathers should not have faced the British until there were strict security measures in place so they weren't menaced by those 65 year olds in walkers.